New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-24
THE ISSUES ~ TIRGLN,A.

The manifesto Of the Republican State Com
mttce of Virginia is an admirable paper, clear
raightforward and hard hitting. Act by ac
| it summons the conduct OF the Bourbon Dem
ocracy in State affairs in review before the
| peoples mind and comments with dlIcctneS'
and singing effect upon each OF It's many
abuses of power and mlsuses of opportunity
| Colonel Watterson remarked few days ago
that the Virginia Democracy had gone to seed
| and predicted that it would be defeated. II
the Republicans are not successful, he wrote
L" it will be no fault of those who are Icspon-
sible for the assembling and action OF the re-
cent Roanoke Convention. The Democrats
may, indeed, win success. But they do not
deserve it, and if they do win it under such
auspices and augurics, it will contradict all
| experience
Mr.. Watteson has consistency, courage and
convictions. He stands for policy which
he knows to be the policy OF his party, and
he despises the towards who believe but dare
not assert and the interlopcrs who remain in
the Democratic party but do not believe in its
one cardinal principle. 1t is from this point
of view that he denounces the Virginia Bour-
bons who, repeatedly beaten upon square
fight waged on sharply defined principles
have contrived TO crawl back into power
through electoral frauds and are now en-
deavoring to hold their offices by pretending
that they are in favor of the principles Tor
which the people declared in 1881, when, for
The first time since the war, there was an
honest election in Virginia.
General Malone exposes this hypocrisy
effectively. The Republican manifesto per-
tinently inquiries what faith can be put in a
party which publicly proclaims III favor oil
a protective tariff and sends representatives
to Congress who vote for a free trade Speaker
and support free trade revenue bill which
favors the Blair bill and the abolition OF the
internal revenue taxes and in the next clause
indorses a President VIGOROUSLY hostile to
both which secures power on public pledge
not to disturb the scheme for the settlement
Of the State debt enacted in 1851 and pro-
nounced constitutional and then amends and
botchcs it by measures decided to be Illegal
by the Supreme Court and which steadily
crccps into public favor by hiding It's own
principles and arraying itself in It's adycrsarys
stolen clothes before election only to throw
them off and violate its sacred promises as
soon as it obtains Office and authority.
This is the record Of the Virginia Democracy.
and when, in addition, its reckless expenditure
Of State funds be considered, it's fritteiing
away of the surplus left in the treasury by tho
Republicans in 1883, its increase OF four and
n half millions to the State debt since tina,
time and its vastly increased annual budget Of
expenses, there can be but one explanation
Of electoral tally-sheets which may show next
fall that another Bourbon Legislature has
been chosen in State with a known
Republican majority of at least 10000. That
tho Democrats can honestly carry Virginia
under any circumstances is unlikely That
they can honestly carry it in tho face OF
such record, barren as it is OF all else but
hypocrisy, incompetence and extravaganza,
is simply impossible. The only force that
can keep them in power is fraud.